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MO 4 Shared Parenting Initiative

Parental alienation is very real.

Parental alienation is very real! Though PA happens in various stages, it is still harmful to children and of course to the target parent. This problem is not solely with one gender but the custodial parent has more power to inflict harm while the non-custodial parent is very much caught off guard. Custodial parents who bad mouth the other parent in front of their children are abusers. More and more specialists are considering PA as child abuse and if the alienation doesn’t stop, have called for the removal of children from that parent. It takes a truly disturbed and obsessed person to harm a child by brainwashing them against a loving parent and their extended family and friends, who care deeply about the child. Alienators are unable to act in the best interests of their child. Children are in their lives to serve them and help them get their way. A child is not allowed to grieve for the loss of the target parent or the extended family without the alienating parent getting angry. The children learn pretty quick to keep their feelings to themselves. Alienators are most times cool, calm and collected in court while the target parent is angry and stressed. This of course, works against the target parent but the courts have this all wrong. The child and target parent are sent to therapy but not the alienator, who needs the therapy more than anyone. Actually the target parent is displaying situational anger and stress. And who wouldn’t given the circumstances? Alienation is definitely complex but it is overcome with access. When family courts give the bulk of parenting time to an angry, bitter, or borderline personality, the alienation is a given. Shared parenting will go a long way in eradicating this behavior because access is half of the battle.